Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

FOOTHILL SCENE

Date Range From

1952

Date Range To

1966

Materials

WATERCOLOUR, PAPER, CHALK

No. Pieces

1

Height

77.2

Length

59.3

Width

3.4

Description

WHITE WOOD FRAME WITH BLUE OUTER EDGES. VARIOUS SCUFFS AND CHIPS IN PAINT. RIGHT EDGE OF FRAME HAS "8" WRITTEN IN PERMANENT MARKER. MATTED WITH OFF-WHITE MATT UNDER GLASS. STYLISTICALLY GESTURAL SCENE WITH FOREGROUND DEPICTING THREE CONIFEROUS TREES IN ROCKY GULLY, MOUNTAINS AND SKY IN BACKGROUND. SIGNED IN BOTTOM RIGHT, “G.BEYER.” REVERSE IS COVERED IN BROWN PAPER WHICH IS RIPPED AROUND TOP, RIGHT AND BOTTOM EDGE. LEFT EDGE IS MOSTLY INTACT. WIRE ACROSS BACK WHICH ATTACHES TO EDGES OF FRAME WITH EYELETS. TOP EDGE OF FRAME ON REVERSE HAS HANDWRITTEN IN BLUE INK, “PROPERTY OF LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB.” RIGHT SIDE HAS FAINT BLACK INK STAMPED TEXT THAT READS, “HANG WITH TWO HOOKS 21” APART.” BOTTOM EDGE HAS FAINT BLACK INK STAMP TEXT THAT READS, “GAINSBOROUGH ART STUDIO 310 7TH STREET SOUTH LETHBRIDGE.” WRITTEN IN BLACK PERMANENT MARKER IS, "8" ENCLOSED WITHIN A CIRCLE. TAG ON REVERSE READS, “ARTIST GERHARD BEYER, ADDRESS 2015 13TH AVE SO, MEDIUM WATERCOLOUR, PHONE 71177, TITLE FOOTHILL SCENE, PAINTING NO. 64, PRICE $65.00, CLUB LETH SKETCH CLUB.”

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS COMPILED FROM A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH ARTIST’S NEPHEW GEORGE BEYER BY GALT STAFF IN 2012 AS WELL AS ARTICLES FOUND IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD: “GERHARD BEYER (1924-2008) WAS THE YOUNGEST OF THIRTEEN CHILDREN. BEYER’S FAMILY FARMED IN A VILLAGE CALLED ZEINICK, POMERANIA, GERMANY. THIS AREA WAS GIVEN TO POLAND WITH POST-WAR BORDER SHIFTS. AS A YOUNG MAN, BEYER DEVELOPED A LOVE FOR ART BUT KNEW THAT HE DID NOT WANT A LIFE “LIKE REMBRANDT,” MEANING HE WANTED ENOUGH MONEY TO LIVE AND EAT. THEREFORE HE LEARNED THE CRAFT BEFORE HE WAS DRAFTED IN 1942, ONLY TO BE CAPTURED IN 1945 AND INTERNED IN A SOVIET P.O.W CAMP. BEYER REMAINED IN THIS CAMP FOR TWO YEARS PAST THE WAR’S END. GEORGE BEYER SAID THAT HIS UNCLE HAD BEEN ABLE TO SURVIVE AS HE BECAME A PRIVILEGED PRISONER, AS HE USED HIS TALENTS TO PAINT HIS CAPTORS AND THEIR WIVES, AS WELL AS PORTRAITS OF STALIN. IN RETURN, THE SOVIETS LIFTED THE FOOD RESTRICTION FOR THE ARTISTS, SO HE AND HIS FRIENDS WERE ABLE TO EAT, DOUBTLESS HIS REASON FOR SURVIVAL. BEYER THEN WENT THROUGH A COMMUNIST INDOCTRINATION PROGRAM WITH THE PURPOSE OF TURNING HIM INTO A TEACHER FOR HIS RETURN TO GERMANY. BEYER FAKED IT SO HE COULD GO HOME SOONER, ALTHOUGH THE ENTIRE TIME HE STAYED STRONG IN HIS FEELINGS AGAINST THE COMMUNISTS.” AFTER THE WAR, GERHARD BECAME ENGAGED TO HIS FUTURE WIFE URSULA AND SPENT TIME AT THE HIGH ARTS SCHOOL IN GERMANY. HIS NEPHEW GEORGE CAME TO CANADA FIRST, AS HE SAYS IT WAS THE FIRST COUNTRY TO OPEN UP TO THEM. IN ORDER TO IMMIGRATE, HOWEVER, THEY NEEDED A JOB HERE FIRST. THEY USED THE BAPTIST CHURCH TO ARRANGE THIS WORK FOR THEM, AND THEY WERE PLACED ON THE MCINTYRE RANCH NEAR MAGRATH. GEORGE RECALLS THE RANCH HAVING 3500 HEAD AND THE BEST FOOD HE HAS EVER EATEN. IN FACT, HIS BODY WAS SO USED TO THE POOR FOOD HE HAD BEEN EATING IN GERMANY THAT THE EXCELLENT QUALITY HE RECEIVED HERE MADE HIM SICK, PROMPTING WORRY THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO RETURN. URSULA HAD COME SHORTLY AFTER GEORGE, AND SHE WAITED FOR HER FIANCÉ TO JOIN HER WHICH HAPPENED LATER IN 1952. SHE WORKED FOR THE MCINTYRE FAMILY IN THE HOUSE, AS OPPOSED TO BEING RANCH HANDS LIKE THE MEN. SOON AFTER THE FAMILY HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE AREA, GERHARD AND HIS NEPHEW GEORGE STARTED THEIR OWN PAINTING BUSINESS IN LETHBRIDGE. NOT CONTENT WITH THIS ARTIST ENDEAVOR, GERHARD JOINED THE LETHBRIDGE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AS HE PLAYED THE VIOLIN. LATER ON HE LED WORSHIP IN VARIOUS PLACES AROUND THE CITY LIKE THE HOSPITAL, JAIL AND NURSING HOMES. GERHARD STAYED HERE FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE, PASSING AWAY IN COALDALE IN 2008. HE AND HIS WIFE URSULA ARE INTERNED AT THE MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETERY.” IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE WORK DATES FROM AFTER HIS BEYER'S IMMIGRATION TO CANADA IN 1952, BUT BEFORE GAINSBOROUGH GALLERIES QUIT THEIR LOCATION ON 7TH STREET. THE GALLERY WAS IN OPERATION AT 310, 7TH STREET SOUTH FROM 1963-1966. AT THE TIME OF DONATION, THE PAINTING WAS IN THE POSSESSION OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB. OVER THE YEARS, ARTIST, FAMILY MEMBERS AND PATRONS HAVE DONATED THE PREVIOUSLY ACQUIRED WORKS BACK TO THE CLUB’S COLLECTION. THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB HELD THEIR FIRST MEETING AT THE HOME OF MISS ANNA MACKENZIE ON OCTOBER 7, 1936. EDITH FANNY KIRK WAS THE FIRST ART TEACHER IN LETHBRIDGE. SHE CAME FROM BRITAIN WITH CLASSICAL TRAINING AND IT WAS KIRK WHO SET THE STAGE FOR THE SKETCH CLUB TO COME INTO BEING. THE BANFF SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS ALSO PLAYED A ROLE IN THE FORMATION BY PROVIDING RECOGNITION OF ARTISTIC MERIT THROUGH DISTRICT SCHOLARSHIPS. ANNA MACKENZIE AND P.J. COLLINS CONCEIVED OF THE CLUB AFTER THEIR EXPERIENCE IN BANFF. THE GROUP WAS FORMED OUT OF AN ENTHUSIASTIC INTEREST IN ART AND SOON AFTER THE GROUP BEGAN MEETING, THERE WERE REGULAR EXHIBITIONS. THE GROUP WAS PRIVY TO THE ATTENTION OF GROUP OF SEVEN ARTIST A.Y.JACKSON WHEN HE MADE HIS FREQUENT SKETCHING TRIPS TO SOUTHERN ALBERTA. HE REGULARLY ACCOMPANIED THE SKETCH CLUB AND HIS INFLUENCE CAN BE SEEN IN MUCH OF THEIR WORK. ANOTHER GUEST OF THE GROUP WAS ANNORA BROWN WHO WAS AN ARTIST WHO HAD TRAINED IN TORONTO, BUT RESIDED IN FORT MACLEOD AND BEGAN SPENDING TIME WITH THE GROUP IN 1939. HER INTEREST IN FLOWER STUDIES IS SUSPECTED TO HAVE INSPIRED MANY OF THE WORKS BY CLUB MEMBERS. DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, THE GROUP ORGANIZED SUMMER CLASSES TAUGHT BY OUT OF TOWN ARTISTS SUCH AS: H.G.GLYDE, WALTER J. PHILIPS AND A.C. LEIGHTON. ACCORDING TO A HISTORY OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB WRITTEN BY JOAN STEBBINS IN JUNE, 1985, “THE PAINTINGS OF THE LETHBRIDGE SKETCH CLUB PORTRAY FAVOURITE SKETCHING AREAS IN THE REGION – THE COULEES PROVIDED ENDLESS MATERIAL, THE RIVERBOTTOM, THE OLD R.C.M.P. BARRACKS, THE WHITNEY FARM, HENDERSON LAKE, THE FELGER HUTTERITE COLONY, THE FOOTHILLS AND WATERTON LAKE WERE OFTEN REPEATED SUBJECTS.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20120030001

Acquisition Date

2012-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail